Part 62 (2/2)

”NO. NO, NO, NO!” A spoiled child, Cora thought.

Spoiled and very dangerous. This time she had a faint impression, despite what the creature had said of col- lective thought, of several different CunsnuC joining to generate the chorus of negativity.

”Lie to them,” Mataroreva suggested. ”Tell them we'll do what they say. We can work out a way.”

”No. Any agreement I make I will keep. Besides, I'm not sure you can produce a telepathic lie, Sam.

Remember what they/it said about 'pulling out' our thoughts. I think they will tend to pull out the truth.”

”THAT is so,” the voice said, confirming the Com- missioner's suspicions. ”AS IT is so IN YOUR COMPAN- ION'S MIND THAT HE WILL NOT AGREE TO LEAVE. AS.

IT IS IN YOUR OWN. BUT YOU WILL DIE WITH HONOR.”.

In the darkness inside her head Cora found to her horror that Sam was beginning to remind her more and more of Silvio. Why now, why here? Why tor- ment yourself with thoughts of that distant awfulness

262.

CACHALOT.

CACHALOT.

263.

in moments of stress? she asked herself. And had no

answer.

Hwos.h.i.+en stood stiff-backed against a wall. ”They can't hurt us in here. They've already tried and failed.”

”ALSO TRUE. WE CANNOT PENETRATE YOUR ARTI-.

FICIAL Sh.e.l.l.” Cora was knocked off her feet as the submersible was rocked once again. ”BUT WE CAN

PREVENT YOU FROM RISING. WE KNOW THAT YOU.

REQUIRE THE GAS BEYOND THE SKY IN ORDER TO EXIST.

WE CAN KEEP YOU HERE, WILL KEEP YOU HERE,.

UNTIL THE QUANt.i.tY YOU DESCENDED WITH HAS BEEN.

USED UP.”.

Mataroreva immediately moved to try the necessary controls. The submersible rocked several times, bounc- ing against the creature that hovered above it. Then he flipped the activation switch slowly, looked wor- riedly at his friends.

”We're not rising. I could try a full ballast drop, but if that didn't work . . .” He let the sentence trail away. Much as their air would trail away.

The submersible was caught in a gigantic box cre- ated by the six huge forms.

”Lie to them! Deal with them!” Mataroreva shouted

at his superior.

Hwos.h.i.+en looked at the big man uncertainly.

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